Minnesota Flash Floods: 2011

Flash Flood of July 15-16, 2011

There was one major flash flood of six or more inches in 24 hours in 2011 and that was the heavy rain event of July 15-16, 2011. No analysis of the event was made at the time due to the State Government Shutdown.

Heavy rains fell in a swath from west central to southeast Minnesota during the early morning hours of Friday, July 16th. Three to five inches of rain fell over the course of 24 hours with two rain events. One was during the daylight hours of the 15th and dropped an inch or two of rain. The second was heavier and fell in the early hours of July 16th, causing numerous roads to flood in the northern Twin Cities. I-35W was underwater at 694 and was closed. McKnight Road under Highway 36 in North St. Paul was still closed 12 hours after the rain had stopped with minnows swimming in a bank parking lot nearby. The highest 24 hour rainfall total found was 7.03 inches in Roseville.